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{{short description|American football running back}}
{{Short description|American football player (born 1961)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
{{Infobox NFL biography
|image= Mike Rozier.jpg
| name = Mike Rozier
| image = Mike Rozier.jpg
|caption=Rozier playing for the Houston Oilers in 1987
| alt =
|position=[[Running back]]
| caption = Rozier with the [[Houston Oilers]] in 1987
|number=30, 33
| number = 33, 30
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1961|3|1|mf=y}}
| position = [[Running back]]
|birth_place=[[Camden, New Jersey]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|3|1|mf=y}}
|suppdraftyear=[[1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players|1984]]
| birth_place = [[Camden, New Jersey]], U.S.
|suppdraftround=1 / Pick: 2
| death_date =
|high_school=[[Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey)|Camden (NJ) Woodrow Wilson]]
| death_place =
|college=[[Nebraska Cornhuskers|Nebraska]]
| height_ft = 5
|teams=
| height_in = 10
* [[Pittsburgh Maulers]] ({{USFL Year|1984}})
| weight_lb = 209
| high_school = [[Eastside High School (Camden, New Jersey)|Woodrow Wilson]] (Camden)
| college = {{ubl|[[Coffeyville Red Ravens|Coffeyville]] (1980)|[[Nebraska Cornhuskers|Nebraska]] (1981–1983)}}
| suppdraftyear = [[1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players|1984]]
| suppdraftround = 1 / Pick: 2
| pastteams =
* [[Pittsburgh Maulers (1984)|Pittsburgh Maulers]] ({{USFL Year|1984}})
* [[Jacksonville Bulls]] ({{USFL Year|1985}})
* [[Jacksonville Bulls]] ({{USFL Year|1985}})
* [[Houston Oilers]] ([[1985 NFL season|1985]]–[[1990 NFL season|1990]])
* [[Houston Oilers]] ({{NFL Year|1985|1990}})
* [[Atlanta Falcons]] ([[1990 NFL season|1990]]–[[1991 NFL season|1991]])
* [[Atlanta Falcons]] ({{NFL Year|1990|1991}})
|highlights=
| highlights =
* 2× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1988 Pro Bowl|1987]], [[1989 Pro Bowl|1988]])
* 2× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1988 Pro Bowl|1987]], [[1989 Pro Bowl|1988]])
* [[Heisman Trophy]] (1983)
* [[Heisman Trophy]] (1983)
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* [[Chic Harley Award]] (1983)
* [[Chic Harley Award]] (1983)
* [[UPI College Football Player of the Year|UPI Player of the Year]] (1983)
* [[UPI College Football Player of the Year|UPI Player of the Year]] (1983)
* [[Sporting News College Football Player of the Year|''Sporting News'' Player of the Year]] (1983)
* [[Sporting News College Football Player of the Year|''SN'' Player of the Year]] (1983)
* 2× Consensus [[All-American]] ([[1982 College Football All-America Team|1982]], [[1983 College Football All-America Team|1983]])
* [[List of unanimous All-Americans in college football|Unanimous All-American]] ([[1983 College Football All-America Team|1983]])
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1982 College Football All-America Team|1982]])
* [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football#Retired numbers and jerseys|Nebraska Cornhuskers Jersey No. 30]] retired
* 2× [[Big Eight Conference football#Offensive Player of the Year|Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year]] (1982, 1983)
|statlabel1=Rushing Yards
* 3× First-team All-[[Big Eight Conference|Big Eight]] ([[1981 All-Big Eight Conference football team|1981]]–[[1983 All-Big Eight Conference football team|1983]])
|statvalue1=4,462
* [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football#Retired jerseys|Nebraska Cornhuskers Jersey No. 30]] retired
|statlabel2=Average
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
|statvalue2=3.8
| statvalue1 = 4,462
|statlabel3=[[Touchdown]]s
| statlabel2 = Rushing average
|statvalue3=30
| statvalue2 = 3.8
|nfl=Mike-Rozier
| statlabel3 = Rushing [[touchdown]]s
|CollegeHOF=2184
| statvalue3 = 30
| statlabel4 = [[Reception (gridiron football)|Receptions]]
| statvalue4 = 90
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 715
| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue6 = 1
| pfr = R/RoziMi00
| CollegeHOF = 2184
}}
}}


'''Michael T. Rozier''' (born March 1, 1961) is a former American college and professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[running back]] in the [[United States Football League]] (USFL) for two seasons and the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Rozier played [[college football]] for the [[University of Nebraska]], and won the [[Heisman Trophy]] in 1983. Afterward, he played professionally for the [[Pittsburgh Maulers]] and [[Jacksonville Bulls]] of the USFL and the [[Houston Oilers]] and [[Atlanta Falcons]] of the NFL. He is a member of the [[College Football Hall of Fame]].
'''Michael M. Rozier''' (born March 1, 1961) is an American former [[American football|football]] [[running back]] who played in the [[United States Football League]] (USFL) for two seasons and the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for seven seasons from 1985 to 1991. He played [[college football]] for the [[Coffeyville Red Ravens]] before transferring to the [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska Cornhuskers]], where he won the [[Heisman Trophy]] in 1983. Afterward, he played for the [[Pittsburgh Maulers (1984)|Pittsburgh Maulers]] and the [[Jacksonville Bulls]] of the USFL, then played for the [[Houston Oilers]] and the [[Atlanta Falcons]] of the NFL. He was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 2006.


==Early years==
==Early life==
Rozier was born in [[Camden, New Jersey]].
Rozier was born in [[Camden, New Jersey]].
He attended [[Woodrow Wilson High School (Camden, New Jersey)|Woodrow Wilson High School]] in Camden, where he was a standout [[high school football]] player. Today, the football field bears his name.
He attended [[Woodrow Wilson High School (Camden, New Jersey)|Woodrow Wilson High School]] in Camden, where he was a standout [[high school football]] player. Today, the football field bears his name.
Line 46: Line 63:
Rozier went largely unnoticed by most of the major college programs. His recruitment to [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]] was a complete accident. Former Nebraska head coach [[Frank Solich]], at the time an assistant to head coach [[Tom Osborne]], had been a keen observer of high school game films. While watching film of [[Pennsauken High School|Pennsauken's]] game against nearby [[Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey)|Woodrow Wilson High School]], one player on the opposing team (Rozier) continually caught Solich's eye.
Rozier went largely unnoticed by most of the major college programs. His recruitment to [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]] was a complete accident. Former Nebraska head coach [[Frank Solich]], at the time an assistant to head coach [[Tom Osborne]], had been a keen observer of high school game films. While watching film of [[Pennsauken High School|Pennsauken's]] game against nearby [[Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey)|Woodrow Wilson High School]], one player on the opposing team (Rozier) continually caught Solich's eye.


Rozier spent his freshman season at [[Coffeyville Community College|Coffeyville Junior College]] in Kansas, in order to get his grades up. In his one season with the Coffeyville Ravens, he led them to a 9-0 season, gaining 1157 yards with a gaudy 7.4 yards-per-carry average, and scored ten touchdowns.
Rozier spent his freshman season at [[Coffeyville Community College|Coffeyville Junior College]] in Kansas, in order to get his grades up. In his one season with the Coffeyville Ravens, he led them to a 9–0 season in 1980, gaining 1157 yards with a gaudy 7.4 yards-per-carry average, and scored ten touchdowns.


As a sophomore in 1981, Rozier first dazzled Husker fans with a 93-yard touchdown run against [[Kansas State Wildcats|Kansas State]]. As the season progressed, Rozier began challenging [[Roger Craig (American football)|Roger Craig]] for the starting position, a job he would eventually win in the fall of 1982 prior to his junior year. Rozier's progress was so pronounced that the talented and established Craig moved to fullback.
As a sophomore in 1981, Rozier first dazzled Husker fans with a 93-yard touchdown run against [[Kansas State Wildcats|Kansas State]]. As the season progressed, Rozier began challenging [[Roger Craig (American football)|Roger Craig]] for the starting position, a job he would eventually win in the fall of 1982 prior to his junior year. Rozier's progress was so pronounced that the talented and established Craig moved to fullback.


During his junior season, Rozier broke Bobby Reynolds's long-standing school record for rushing yards in a single season, with 1,689 yards, and led Nebraska to a second consecutive outright Big 8 title and a 12-1 record, losing only in controversial fashion to eventual national champion [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]]. In a particularly memorable performance against [[Missouri Tigers|Missouri]], Rozier came off the bench in the second half to rush for 139 yards on 17 carries to lead Nebraska to a comeback victory despite suffering from a painful hip-pointer injury. Rozier finished the [[1982 College Football All-America Team|1982 season]] a consensus All-American and finished 10th in the Heisman voting.
During his junior season, Rozier broke Bobby Reynolds's long-standing school record for rushing yards in a single season, with 1,689 yards, and led Nebraska to a second consecutive outright Big 8 title and a 12–1 record, losing only in controversial fashion to eventual national champion [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]]. In a performance against [[Missouri Tigers|Missouri]], Rozier came off the bench in the second half to rush for 139 yards on 17 carries to lead Nebraska to a comeback victory despite suffering from a painful hip-pointer injury. Rozier finished the [[1982 College Football All-America Team|1982 season]] a consensus All-American and finished 10th in the Heisman voting.


As a senior, Nebraska's high-octane offense was often unstoppable, averaging 52 points and 401 rushing yards per game. Rozier's statistics were mind-boggling; a nation's best 2,486 total yards with 2,148 of those coming on the ground and twenty-nine touchdowns scored. His 7.8 yards-per-carry mark on the season stands as the 3rd highest mark for players with more than 214 carries in a season. Against Kansas, Rozier rushed for a staggering 230 yards in the first half and finished with 285 rushing yards total, at that time a school record. Rozier went over 200 yards in each of his last four regular-season games of the 1983 season. His magical senior season was capped when he was awarded the [[Heisman Trophy]], given to the best individual player in [[college football]] and was again an [[1983 College Football All-America Team|All-American]].
As a senior, Nebraska's high-octane offense was often unstoppable, averaging 52 points and 401 rushing yards per game. Rozier had a nation's best 2,486 total yards with 2,148 of those coming on the ground and twenty-nine touchdowns scored. His 7.8 yards-per-carry mark on the season stands as the third-highest mark for players with more than 214 carries in a season. Against Kansas, Rozier rushed for 230 yards in the first half and finished with 285 rushing yards total, at that time a school record. Rozier went over 200 yards in each of his last four regular-season games of the 1983 season. His senior season was capped when he was awarded the [[Heisman Trophy]], given to the best individual player in [[college football]] and was again an [[1983 College Football All-America Team|All-American]].


His college career would end in disappointment, losing the [[1984 Orange Bowl]] in which [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami]] defeated [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]] 31-30 for the national championship. Rozier had 138 yards on 21 carries at halftime against a Miami Hurricanes team with the second-ranked defense in football, but he had to leave in the third quarter following an ankle injury. Rozier finished the game with 147 yards on 26 carries.
His college career would end in disappointment, losing the [[1984 Orange Bowl]] in which [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami]] defeated [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]] 31-30 for the national championship. Rozier had 138 yards on 21 carries at halftime against a Miami Hurricanes team with the second-ranked defense in football, but he had to leave in the third quarter following an ankle injury. Rozier finished the game with 147 yards on 26 carries.


===Statistics===
===College statistics===
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|-
|-
! rowspan="2"| Season
!|
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="5" style="background:#e7e3e7;"| Rushing
! colspan="5" style="background:#e7e3e7;"| Receiving
! colspan="5"| Rushing
! colspan="5"| Receiving
|-
! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD
|-
|-
! 1980
!|YEAR
| colspan="11"| ''Attended [[Coffeyville Community College|Coffeyville Junior College]]''
!|ATT
!|YDS
!|AVG
!|LNG
!|TD
!|NO.
!|YDS
!|AVG
!|LNG
!|TD
|-
|-
! [[1981 NCAA Division I-A football season|1981]] || [[1981 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
|1980|| colspan=12|Attended Coffeyville Junior College
| 166 || 1,018 || 6.1 || 93 || 5 || 4 || 64 || 16.0 || 32 || 0
|-
|-
! [[1982 NCAA Division I-A football season|1982]] || [[1982 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
|1981||166||1018||6.2||93||5||4||64||16.0||32||0
| 268 || 1,807 || 4.1 || 62 || 15 || 6 || 46 || 7.7 || 14 || 2
|-
|-
! [[1983 NCAA Division I-A football season|1983]] || [[1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
|1982||268||1,807||7.0||62||15||6||46||7.7||14||2
| 300 || 2,295 || 7.7 || 71 || 29 || 10 || 106 || 10.6 || 26 || 0
|-
|-
! colspan="2"|[https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/mike-rozier-1.html Career] !! 734 !! 4,400 !! 6.0 !! 93 !! 49 !! 20 !! 216 !! 10.8 !! 32 !! 2
|1983||300||2,295||7.9||71||29||10||106||10.6||26||0
|}
|}
Includes bowl games


==Professional career==
==Professional career==
Rozier was selected by the [[Pittsburgh Maulers]] first overall in the [[1984 USFL Draft]]. He played his first two professional seasons in the [[United States Football League]], in 1984, with the Pittsburgh Maulers, and 1985, with the Jacksonville Bulls. In 1985 Rozier played for the Jacksonville Bulls in the spring and the Houston Oilers in the fall.
Rozier was selected by the [[Pittsburgh Maulers (1984)|Pittsburgh Maulers]] first overall in the [[1984 USFL Draft]]. He played his first two professional seasons in the [[United States Football League]], in 1984, with the Pittsburgh Maulers, and 1985, with the Jacksonville Bulls. In 1985 Rozier played for the Jacksonville Bulls in the spring and the Houston Oilers in the fall.


He was drafted by the [[Houston Oilers]] in the 1st round (2nd pick overall) of the [[1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players]], joining them in the fall of 1985. Rozier played six seasons for the Oilers, amassing a total of 900 carries for 3171 yards, including a 1,002-yard rushing season in 1988. While playing for the Oilers, Rozier was elected to the AFC [[Pro Bowl]] squad in both 1987 and 1988.
He was drafted by the [[Houston Oilers]] in the 1st round (2nd pick overall) of the [[1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players]], joining them in the fall of 1985.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Rozier played six seasons for the Oilers, amassing a total of 900 carries for 3171 yards, including a 1,002-yard rushing season in 1988. While playing for the Oilers, Rozier was elected to the AFC [[Pro Bowl]] squad in both 1987 and 1988.


In 1990, Rozier only played three games for the Oilers, rushing 10 times for a total of 42 yards, before being traded to the [[National Football Conference|NFC's]] [[Atlanta Falcons]], where he finished the year with 153 carries for 675 yards. His final season in the NFL came the next year with the Falcons. He completed the 1991 season with 361 yards on 96 carries, announcing his retirement during the off-season.
In 1990, Rozier only played three games for the Oilers, rushing 10 times for a total of 42 yards, before being released after they found no suitable trade partners.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/10/02/Oilers-waive-Mike-Rozier/9925654840000/ | title=Oilers waive Mike Rozier - UPI Archives }}</ref> He was quickly picked up by the [[National Football Conference|NFC's]] [[Atlanta Falcons]], where he finished the year with 153 carries for 675 yards. His final season in the NFL came the next year with the Falcons. He completed the 1991 season with 361 yards on 96 carries, announcing his retirement during the off-season.


Rozier finished his career with a total of 1159 carries for 4462 yards, having averaged 3.8 yards per carry, and scoring 30 touchdowns.
Rozier finished his career with a total of 1159 carries for 4462 yards, having averaged 3.8 yards per carry, and scoring 30 touchdowns.


As of the end of the [[2012 NFL season|2012 season]], Rozier is ranked 149th on the NFL All-Time Rushing Yards list.
As of the end of the [[2020 NFL season|2020 season]], Rozier is ranked 172nd on the NFL All-Time Rushing Yards list.


==Career statistics==
==Career statistics==


=== USFL career ===
=== USFL career ===
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|-
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Year
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! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! TD !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! TD
! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! TD !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! TD
|-
|-
! [[1984 USFL season|1984]] !! [[Pittsburgh Maulers|PIT]]
! [[1984 USFL season|1984]] !! [[Pittsburgh Maulers (1984)|Pittsburgh Maulers]]
| 14 || 223 || 792 || 3.6 || 3 || 32 || 259 || 8.1 || 0
| 14 || 223 || 792 || 3.6 || 3 || 32 || 259 || 8.1 || 0
|-
|-
! [[1985 USFL season|1985]] !! [[Jacksonville Bulls|JAX]]
! [[1985 USFL season|1985]] !! [[Jacksonville Bulls]]
| 18 || 320 || 1,361 || 4.3 || 12 || 50 || 366 || 7.3 || 3
| 18 || 320 || 1,361 || 4.3 || 12 || 50 || 366 || 7.3 || 3
|-
|-
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=== NFL career ===
=== NFL career ===
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|-
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Year
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==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Mike has been with his wife Rochelle, an attorney, for almost 20 years and married for more than 10 years. They reside in South Jersey and together they have one son, Michael Guy Pacheco Rozier. He has two other children, Amber and JaMichael Rozier, who reside in Houston, Texas.
Mike has been married to his wife Rochelle, an attorney, since 2005. They reside in the [[Sicklerville, New Jersey|Sicklerville]] section of [[Winslow Township, New Jersey]] and together they have one son, Michael Guy Pacheco Rozier.<ref>Anastasia, Phil. [https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/high_school/new_jersey/mike-rozier-woodrow-wilson-football-nebraska-cornhuskers-heisman-trophy-hall-of-fame-20180209.html "Former Woodrow Wilson football star Mike Rozier: Old school as ever"], ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', February 9, 2018. Accessed December 8, 2023. "Rozier lives in Sicklerville with his wife, Rochelle, an attorney, and their teenage son, Michael."</ref> He has two other children, Amber and JaMichael Rozier, who reside in Houston, Texas.

In 1996, he was shot in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey.<ref>Herbert Lowe", [https://web.archive.org/web/20120917071945/http://articles.philly.com/1996-12-15/sports/25642559_1_hospital-bed-mike-rozier-heisman-trophy Rozier, Wounds Healing, Glad To Join The Heisman Scene]", ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' (December 15, 1996). Retrieved September 24, 2011. "As Mike Rozier readily autographed footballs and miniature helmets in the lobby of the Downtown Athletic Club yesterday, a woman looked at the bandage on his right hand and asked, 'What happened to you?' 'I got shot,' the 1983 Heisman Trophy winner&mdash;who set rushing records at the University of Nebraska and at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden&mdash;said matter-of-factly."</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/football/report-man-who-allegedly-shot-nebraska-heisman-trophy-winner-mike-rozier-released-from-prison-after/article_336eda16-9ca5-55c1-96b7-20d3bef591b2.html | title=Report: Man who allegedly shot Nebraska Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier released from prison after serving 20 years | date=May 7, 2020 }}</ref>

Rozier, along with his wife and three other family members, appeared on the October 22, 2013 episode of ''[[Family Feud]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Biancolli|first=Amy|title=Albany couple to appear Tuesday on 'Family Feud'|url=http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/albany-couple-to-appear-on-family-feud/30311/|work=Albany Times-Union|date=October 21, 2013 |access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref>


Rozier was called one the most stylish dressers in the history of the Heisman Trophy by SBNation.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/12/13/7388799/mike-rozier-heisman-trophy-suit | title=Mike Rozier's amazing Heisman suit | date=December 13, 2014 }}</ref>
In 1996, he was shot in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey.<ref>Herbert Lowe", [http://articles.philly.com/1996-12-15/sports/25642559_1_hospital-bed-mike-rozier-heisman-trophy Rozier, Wounds Healing, Glad To Join The Heisman Scene]", ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' (December 15, 1996). Retrieved September 24, 2011. "As Mike Rozier readily autographed footballs and miniature helmets in the lobby of the Downtown Athletic Club yesterday, a woman looked at the bandage on his right hand and asked, 'What happened to you?' 'I got shot,' the 1983 Heisman Trophy winner&mdash;who set rushing records at the University of Nebraska and at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden&mdash;said matter-of-factly."</ref> {{out of date}}


On April 9, 2024, Rozier was honored in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, with a street dedication. Additionally, a sign was erected in the city proclaiming it the home of the renowned former Nebraska, USFL, and NFL running back.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://huskercorner.com/posts/nebraska-football-legend-mike-rozier-street | title=Nebraska Football legend gets new hometown honor | date=April 12, 2024 }}</ref>
Rozier, along with his wife and three other family members, appeared on the October 22, 2013 episode of ''[[Family Feud]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Biancolli|first=Amy|title=Albany couple to appear Tuesday on 'Family Feud'|url=http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/albany-couple-to-appear-on-family-feud/30311/|work=Albany Times-Union|access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 188: Line 205:
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American players of American football]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
Line 199: Line 215:
[[Category:Jacksonville Bulls players]]
[[Category:Jacksonville Bulls players]]
[[Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players]]
[[Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Camden, New Jersey]]
[[Category:People from Winslow Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Maulers players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Maulers players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from New Jersey]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Camden, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey) alumni]]
[[Category:Eastside High School (Camden, New Jersey) alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Walter Camp Award winners]]
[[Category:Maxwell Award winners]]

Latest revision as of 21:21, 3 December 2024

Mike Rozier
refer to caption
Rozier with the Houston Oilers in 1987
No. 33, 30
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1961-03-01) March 1, 1961 (age 63)
Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:209 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Woodrow Wilson (Camden)
College:
Supplemental draft:1984 / round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:4,462
Rushing average:3.8
Rushing touchdowns:30
Receptions:90
Receiving yards:715
Receiving touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference
College Football Hall of Fame

Michael M. Rozier (born March 1, 1961) is an American former football running back who played in the United States Football League (USFL) for two seasons and the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons from 1985 to 1991. He played college football for the Coffeyville Red Ravens before transferring to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1983. Afterward, he played for the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL, then played for the Houston Oilers and the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Early life

[edit]

Rozier was born in Camden, New Jersey. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, where he was a standout high school football player. Today, the football field bears his name.

College career

[edit]

Rozier went largely unnoticed by most of the major college programs. His recruitment to Nebraska was a complete accident. Former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich, at the time an assistant to head coach Tom Osborne, had been a keen observer of high school game films. While watching film of Pennsauken's game against nearby Woodrow Wilson High School, one player on the opposing team (Rozier) continually caught Solich's eye.

Rozier spent his freshman season at Coffeyville Junior College in Kansas, in order to get his grades up. In his one season with the Coffeyville Ravens, he led them to a 9–0 season in 1980, gaining 1157 yards with a gaudy 7.4 yards-per-carry average, and scored ten touchdowns.

As a sophomore in 1981, Rozier first dazzled Husker fans with a 93-yard touchdown run against Kansas State. As the season progressed, Rozier began challenging Roger Craig for the starting position, a job he would eventually win in the fall of 1982 prior to his junior year. Rozier's progress was so pronounced that the talented and established Craig moved to fullback.

During his junior season, Rozier broke Bobby Reynolds's long-standing school record for rushing yards in a single season, with 1,689 yards, and led Nebraska to a second consecutive outright Big 8 title and a 12–1 record, losing only in controversial fashion to eventual national champion Penn State. In a performance against Missouri, Rozier came off the bench in the second half to rush for 139 yards on 17 carries to lead Nebraska to a comeback victory despite suffering from a painful hip-pointer injury. Rozier finished the 1982 season a consensus All-American and finished 10th in the Heisman voting.

As a senior, Nebraska's high-octane offense was often unstoppable, averaging 52 points and 401 rushing yards per game. Rozier had a nation's best 2,486 total yards with 2,148 of those coming on the ground and twenty-nine touchdowns scored. His 7.8 yards-per-carry mark on the season stands as the third-highest mark for players with more than 214 carries in a season. Against Kansas, Rozier rushed for 230 yards in the first half and finished with 285 rushing yards total, at that time a school record. Rozier went over 200 yards in each of his last four regular-season games of the 1983 season. His senior season was capped when he was awarded the Heisman Trophy, given to the best individual player in college football and was again an All-American.

His college career would end in disappointment, losing the 1984 Orange Bowl in which Miami defeated Nebraska 31-30 for the national championship. Rozier had 138 yards on 21 carries at halftime against a Miami Hurricanes team with the second-ranked defense in football, but he had to leave in the third quarter following an ankle injury. Rozier finished the game with 147 yards on 26 carries.

College statistics

[edit]
Season Team Rushing Receiving
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD
1980 Attended Coffeyville Junior College
1981 Nebraska 166 1,018 6.1 93 5 4 64 16.0 32 0
1982 Nebraska 268 1,807 4.1 62 15 6 46 7.7 14 2
1983 Nebraska 300 2,295 7.7 71 29 10 106 10.6 26 0
Career 734 4,400 6.0 93 49 20 216 10.8 32 2

Professional career

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Rozier was selected by the Pittsburgh Maulers first overall in the 1984 USFL Draft. He played his first two professional seasons in the United States Football League, in 1984, with the Pittsburgh Maulers, and 1985, with the Jacksonville Bulls. In 1985 Rozier played for the Jacksonville Bulls in the spring and the Houston Oilers in the fall.

He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the 1st round (2nd pick overall) of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players, joining them in the fall of 1985.[1] Rozier played six seasons for the Oilers, amassing a total of 900 carries for 3171 yards, including a 1,002-yard rushing season in 1988. While playing for the Oilers, Rozier was elected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad in both 1987 and 1988.

In 1990, Rozier only played three games for the Oilers, rushing 10 times for a total of 42 yards, before being released after they found no suitable trade partners.[2] He was quickly picked up by the NFC's Atlanta Falcons, where he finished the year with 153 carries for 675 yards. His final season in the NFL came the next year with the Falcons. He completed the 1991 season with 361 yards on 96 carries, announcing his retirement during the off-season.

Rozier finished his career with a total of 1159 carries for 4462 yards, having averaged 3.8 yards per carry, and scoring 30 touchdowns.

As of the end of the 2020 season, Rozier is ranked 172nd on the NFL All-Time Rushing Yards list.

Career statistics

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USFL career

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Year Team GP Rushing Receiving
Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD
1984 Pittsburgh Maulers 14 223 792 3.6 3 32 259 8.1 0
1985 Jacksonville Bulls 18 320 1,361 4.3 12 50 366 7.3 3
Total 32 543 2,153 4.0 15 82 625 7.6 3

NFL career

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Year Team GP Rushing Receiving
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1985 HOU 14 133 462 3.5 30 8 9 96 10.7 52 0
1986 HOU 13 199 662 3.3 19 4 24 180 7.5 23 0
1987 HOU 11 229 957 4.2 41 3 27 192 7.1 27 0
1988 HOU 15 251 1,002 4.0 28 10 11 99 9.0 18 1
1989 HOU 12 88 301 3.4 17 2 4 28 7.0 8 0
1990 HOU 3 10 42 4.2 11 0 5 46 9.2 24 0
ATL 13 153 675 4.4 67 3 8 59 7.4 24 0
1991 ATL 11 96 361 3.8 19 0 2 15 7.5 20 0
Total 92 1,159 4,462 3.8 67 30 90 715 7.5 52 1

Personal life

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Mike has been married to his wife Rochelle, an attorney, since 2005. They reside in the Sicklerville section of Winslow Township, New Jersey and together they have one son, Michael Guy Pacheco Rozier.[3] He has two other children, Amber and JaMichael Rozier, who reside in Houston, Texas.

In 1996, he was shot in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey.[4][5]

Rozier, along with his wife and three other family members, appeared on the October 22, 2013 episode of Family Feud.[6]

Rozier was called one the most stylish dressers in the history of the Heisman Trophy by SBNation.[7]

On April 9, 2024, Rozier was honored in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, with a street dedication. Additionally, a sign was erected in the city proclaiming it the home of the renowned former Nebraska, USFL, and NFL running back.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1984 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  2. ^ "Oilers waive Mike Rozier - UPI Archives".
  3. ^ Anastasia, Phil. "Former Woodrow Wilson football star Mike Rozier: Old school as ever", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 9, 2018. Accessed December 8, 2023. "Rozier lives in Sicklerville with his wife, Rochelle, an attorney, and their teenage son, Michael."
  4. ^ Herbert Lowe", Rozier, Wounds Healing, Glad To Join The Heisman Scene", The Philadelphia Inquirer (December 15, 1996). Retrieved September 24, 2011. "As Mike Rozier readily autographed footballs and miniature helmets in the lobby of the Downtown Athletic Club yesterday, a woman looked at the bandage on his right hand and asked, 'What happened to you?' 'I got shot,' the 1983 Heisman Trophy winner—who set rushing records at the University of Nebraska and at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden—said matter-of-factly."
  5. ^ "Report: Man who allegedly shot Nebraska Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier released from prison after serving 20 years". May 7, 2020.
  6. ^ Biancolli, Amy (October 21, 2013). "Albany couple to appear Tuesday on 'Family Feud'". Albany Times-Union. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  7. ^ "Mike Rozier's amazing Heisman suit". December 13, 2014.
  8. ^ "Nebraska Football legend gets new hometown honor". April 12, 2024.
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